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Relentless Spirit: The Unconventional Raising of a Champion
What does it take to become a champion? Gold medalist Missy Franklin, along with her parents, D.A. and Dick, tell the inspirational and heartwarming story of how Missy became both a legendary athlete and a happy and confident woman, something they accomplished by doing things their own way and making the right choices for their family.
The word relentless has many meanings for swimmer Missy Franklin. In the pool, it reminds her to remain steady and persistent, unyielding in intensity and strength. In life, it tells her to reach down for her very best, even when it feels like there’s nothing left. The motto “don’t quit” doesn’t do it for Missy, but relentless gets her where she needs to be. And when Missy faces a challenge or a setback, her relentless spirit is what empowers her to learn, adapt, and move forward into the future.
In RELENTLESS SPIRIT, Missy and her parents, D.A. and Dick Franklin, share the story of how Missy became the athlete she is today, a six-time Olympic medalist, five of them gold. Since her Olympic debut in London’s 2012 games—when Missy was just seventeen—people who have met the Franklins or seen them on TV have wondered what it was like to raise such a champion. What was the training like? How did Missy handle school? How did the family find the right facilities, coaches, and support network?
The story that Missy, and her parents, share inside is both inspiring and heartwarming, explaining how she became both a legendary athlete and a happy and confident woman, something they accomplished by doing things their own way and making the right choices for their family, which includes Missy’s faith journey, something she writes about with inspirational candor.
Including the highs, the tough moments, and everything in-between, Relentless Spirit tells the story of a woman – and a family – full of love, heart, faith, and resilience.
The word relentless has many meanings for swimmer Missy Franklin. In the pool, it reminds her to remain steady and persistent, unyielding in intensity and strength. In life, it tells her to reach down for her very best, even when it feels like there’s nothing left. The motto “don’t quit” doesn’t do it for Missy, but relentless gets her where she needs to be. And when Missy faces a challenge or a setback, her relentless spirit is what empowers her to learn, adapt, and move forward into the future.
In RELENTLESS SPIRIT, Missy and her parents, D.A. and Dick Franklin, share the story of how Missy became the athlete she is today, a six-time Olympic medalist, five of them gold. Since her Olympic debut in London’s 2012 games—when Missy was just seventeen—people who have met the Franklins or seen them on TV have wondered what it was like to raise such a champion. What was the training like? How did Missy handle school? How did the family find the right facilities, coaches, and support network?
The story that Missy, and her parents, share inside is both inspiring and heartwarming, explaining how she became both a legendary athlete and a happy and confident woman, something they accomplished by doing things their own way and making the right choices for their family, which includes Missy’s faith journey, something she writes about with inspirational candor.
Including the highs, the tough moments, and everything in-between, Relentless Spirit tells the story of a woman – and a family – full of love, heart, faith, and resilience.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published December 6, 2016
72 people are currently reading
921 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
May 19, 2024
A good read about Missy Franklin olympic medalist.
February 1, 2017
Missy seems like such a sweet girl and as a former competitive swimmer I was excited to read her new book especially after her struggles in Rio. However, this book was just poorly written. It was extremely chatty and wordy. It felt like listening to a teenage girl talk and repeat herself over and over again. The book was 300 pages but could have easily been 200 if they would have cut out the repetition and been less chatty. There wasn't as much inside perspective from Missy as I was hoping for. She tried to make everything look very "rosy" and I was sad her presentation of the gospel was not as clear as I had expected after hearing her interviews. Her last line of the book was especially discouraging. "To trust in me, above all." Sadly, Missy that will get you no where.
December 18, 2016
While this isn't normally my kind of read, having "seen" Missy grow up from a distance -- since her accomplishments and struggles have been widely covered in Colorado -- it was nice to "hear" her side of her story. She has set a positive role model for so many and was able to share her beliefs, her passions, and her genuine goodwill in this very conversational telling of her life. Wishing her the best!
December 23, 2016
This is a Goodreads win review. This is such a wonderful book about the swimming champion Missy Franklin and how she became a champion. I have every event in swimming for years so I really enjoyed this book.
January 19, 2017
As a swim Mom I could relate to a lot of what Missy's parents shared in this book. It was a great assurance to me that I am doing the best I can do at helping my swimmers balance life.
February 7, 2017
Relentless Spirit is a documentary unlike any other - it talks about the journey of not only an athlete, but it talks about the journey of her family and all those whom she’s impacted as well. D.A, Dick, and Missy Franklin’s new book really is a must read; dive on into the story of an Olympian!
Relentless Spirit covers a long period of time, and a lot of different topics, one of the main ones being swimming. The story starts before Missy was even born, which I thought was a unique starting point. Most documentaries start when the main character (person) is born, but this special book about a special person called for special circumstances. Relentless Spirit actually gives the reader a big portion of Missy Franklin’s parents, (D.A and Dick) life story so you could see how their past influenced having Missy, of which it did. Anyways, throughout the story of Missy’s life and career, it was amazing to see how her perspectives and thoughts grew along with her strengths as she got older, including her swimming. Speaking of swimming, Missy really was a prodigy. At age 12, she was on the U.S National Team, going to Europe for meets and only a few years later, Missy was going to the Olympics, where her peak hit her. (at least for now. Missy could swim more in the future, so this position is still up for grabs by her future accomplishments.) At the London 2012 Olympics, Missy Franklin won 6 medals, 5 of them gold. Along the way to her journey to gold medals and fame, she talked about her decisions for school and academics, and her state championship wins. But not everyone and everything was on her side. On her second Olympic cycle, Missy was well on track for trials for Rio 2016 Olympics. She was training hard with her College Team, (University of California Berkeley) and was working hard each and everyday. But, when major decisions forced away her swimming life, and her social life, both of which she treasured greatly, either decision could tear her Olympic dreams apart, mentally and physically. Can she overcome these decisions and pull strong to the Rio Olympics?
Missy Franklin, D.A and Dick Franklin’s book was one of my all time favorite books, I must say. Although, my opinion may be biased because swimming is one of my favorite sports… well, it is my favorite sport! However, that’s not all that this book talks about. In fact, it probably talks more about Missy Franklin’s journey as a person and an individual by maybe just a little bit. And that’s probably a good thing. Missy’s parents were big on character, like all parents should be. But it’s the parents decision on what they want their child’s character to be like. D.A and Dick Franklin have helped Missy have the best character possible… and they might have helped mine a bit too. Throughout the book, positivity and determination radiate through the binded pages, and whenever you pick up Relentless Spirit, you just glow, wanted to read more and more, until you can’t anymore! I would recommend Relentless Spirit to all. Enjoy!
Relentless Spirit covers a long period of time, and a lot of different topics, one of the main ones being swimming. The story starts before Missy was even born, which I thought was a unique starting point. Most documentaries start when the main character (person) is born, but this special book about a special person called for special circumstances. Relentless Spirit actually gives the reader a big portion of Missy Franklin’s parents, (D.A and Dick) life story so you could see how their past influenced having Missy, of which it did. Anyways, throughout the story of Missy’s life and career, it was amazing to see how her perspectives and thoughts grew along with her strengths as she got older, including her swimming. Speaking of swimming, Missy really was a prodigy. At age 12, she was on the U.S National Team, going to Europe for meets and only a few years later, Missy was going to the Olympics, where her peak hit her. (at least for now. Missy could swim more in the future, so this position is still up for grabs by her future accomplishments.) At the London 2012 Olympics, Missy Franklin won 6 medals, 5 of them gold. Along the way to her journey to gold medals and fame, she talked about her decisions for school and academics, and her state championship wins. But not everyone and everything was on her side. On her second Olympic cycle, Missy was well on track for trials for Rio 2016 Olympics. She was training hard with her College Team, (University of California Berkeley) and was working hard each and everyday. But, when major decisions forced away her swimming life, and her social life, both of which she treasured greatly, either decision could tear her Olympic dreams apart, mentally and physically. Can she overcome these decisions and pull strong to the Rio Olympics?
Missy Franklin, D.A and Dick Franklin’s book was one of my all time favorite books, I must say. Although, my opinion may be biased because swimming is one of my favorite sports… well, it is my favorite sport! However, that’s not all that this book talks about. In fact, it probably talks more about Missy Franklin’s journey as a person and an individual by maybe just a little bit. And that’s probably a good thing. Missy’s parents were big on character, like all parents should be. But it’s the parents decision on what they want their child’s character to be like. D.A and Dick Franklin have helped Missy have the best character possible… and they might have helped mine a bit too. Throughout the book, positivity and determination radiate through the binded pages, and whenever you pick up Relentless Spirit, you just glow, wanted to read more and more, until you can’t anymore! I would recommend Relentless Spirit to all. Enjoy!
February 6, 2017
I think this book is a super good book for swimmers and coaches. I think it really explains the hard parts of swimming and how to get through them.
February 5, 2017
I was a swimmer growing up and admire Missy Franklin tremendously, but her life just doesn't make for a good memoir at this point. Until her back injury a few years ago and the 2016 Olympic trials and games in Rio, she really hadn't struggled at all. Which is awesome for her and her family, but just doesn't make for that interesting a memoir (should have realized that before picking this one up).
I love reading sports memoirs for their behind-the-scenes information on the big competitions. When Missy's memoir got to the London Olympics, she essentially said nothing and turned it over to her parents to share their experience, which was kind of interesting, but not what I was looking for.
The best part of the book was the very end when she addressed her back injury, decision to leave Cal to train for the 2016 Olympics at home in Colorado, and the 2016 trials and Games themselves. Sadly, the reader has to wade through a LOT of parenting advice (which all boils down to supporting your child rather than the accomplishments and not pressuring him/her) and mutual back patting between Missy and her parents to get there.
I love reading sports memoirs for their behind-the-scenes information on the big competitions. When Missy's memoir got to the London Olympics, she essentially said nothing and turned it over to her parents to share their experience, which was kind of interesting, but not what I was looking for.
The best part of the book was the very end when she addressed her back injury, decision to leave Cal to train for the 2016 Olympics at home in Colorado, and the 2016 trials and Games themselves. Sadly, the reader has to wade through a LOT of parenting advice (which all boils down to supporting your child rather than the accomplishments and not pressuring him/her) and mutual back patting between Missy and her parents to get there.
December 16, 2016
Wow! What a amazing book about a wonderful God honoring women. I learned so much about her.I love getting to know more about her parents and there story.
February 2, 2017
honest insight into her life highlighting pressures of swimming professionally along with relationship with parents. interesting read.
May 20, 2024
When I first started reading Relentless Spirit, the autobiography by Missy Franklin and her family, I was excited to learn about the course of Missy’s professional swimming career because she is such a role model for me. For the most part I was right. I really enjoyed reading about Franklin’s high school swimming career at Regis Jesuit High School because I can relate to that stage in life right now. The book covers Franklin’s swimming career from being an early teen just starting to retirement which makes it easy for a wide variety of people to connect with. I also liked how Franklin’s story was told from many different point of views including her own, her parents, and Daniel Paisner. The book also did a great job of conveying Franklin’s feelings throughout it all. Whether being a 16 year old at the Olympics, winning her first gold medal, or setting world records. The reader always knew how Franklin was feeling. Although I loved the book there wasn’t any suspense involved in the plot. The reader usually knew exactly what was coming next. For the most part I would recommend reading this positive motivational autobiography about a very brave women.
July 31, 2024
This book was about Missy Franklin’s Olympic journey and the lessons she has learned along the way. I really enjoyed reading Missy’s story and about her attitude when competing in sports, of the importance of not letting disappointments set you back and why her faith is so essential in her life. Her conversation with the doctor on the plane at the end really got me when they were talking about how much God is working within you when you are going through a tough time. My only critique is that Franklin could have gone more into detail about key parts of her story, like winning gold at the London Olympics or not doing so well at Rio. I feel like she rushed through these parts when they were the really interesting sections of the book.
All in all, Missy is a great person and I liked learning more about her life and the key takeaways from her swimming journey that she has to share. This was also more of an informal and conversational read told by Missy and her parents. And I learned more about how the Olympic sports system works which was interesting too!
All in all, Missy is a great person and I liked learning more about her life and the key takeaways from her swimming journey that she has to share. This was also more of an informal and conversational read told by Missy and her parents. And I learned more about how the Olympic sports system works which was interesting too!
September 21, 2022
This was a little repetitive for me, but I enjoyed the overall story and background behind Missy's story. I related to some of the things she said as a swimmer, and I loved hearing about her family and how she was impacted by the way her parents raised her.
March 17, 2017
I picked this book up right around the time of the state swim meet for the team that I am in charge of and finished it a week before the regional meet. I am so glad I did. It was so inspiring. I would recommend this book to everyone I know. If you have a swimming background like myself then you would really enjoy it. I liked the points of views of her parents. Check this book out!!!!
February 5, 2017
This is a very easy read, ideal for anyone that loves the sport of swimming. Missy is a positive influence for young swimmers & creates a great portrayal of her life through this book. Not extremely well written, a love for swimming has to be a priority to really enjoy this book.
August 14, 2018
Maybe it’s because I was never a swimmer, but this book seemed pointless to me. I love reading biographies and enjoy hearing people’s stories, but I felt like she didn’t experience enough life to write a book. Yes, she won metals in the Olympics and is a really great swimmer, but I feel like there was very little hardship and much going for her to do so. The writing voice was not good and there was a lot of repeated things said. I just didn’t come to like her and didn’t feel like it was a very well written book.
March 8, 2019
The book I read Relentless Spirit by Missy Franklin. ( I could not find the Lexile level of the book). This book is about Missy Franklin explaining her dreams and the goals she made and how she worked up to make it to the Olympics for swimming.
Missy started swimming lessons when she was very young. Her mom put her in swimming lessons because she wanted Missy to get used to the water at a young age. Missy connected well with the water and started to like it a lot. Missy later then asked her mom if she could join a swim team and she did. She competed and got into swimming like no other sport she did. When Missy was in the pool she never wanted to get out. The pool was just her happy place. Missy was so good she was competing with people a few years older with her so she had to adjust to that. Missy started to break a lot of records. The Orlando meet she was at she was trying to make the cut for the swimming Olympic trials at thirteen years old. Missy did not make the cut in the two of her better events. The trial cut for the two hundred IM was 2:20.49. Missy didn't know that because she never thought she would be near it. Turns out she finished the race and looked at her time which was 2:19.12. She knew she did good, but she didn't know if she beat the cut time. Turns out she did so she was super happy about that. She was not able to make it to the 2008 summer Olympics. During the time she was still in high school so she was practicing then also, and she made it to state for high school swimming. She also broke records at state. In 2012 Missy went to the London Olympics. She was competing in seven events. She won five gold, one bronze, and then got fourth and fifth which she was really proud about. Missy set a world record and Olympic record for the 200m backstroke with a time of 2:04.06 Missy’s meet was great she felt pretty good about it.”I never really cared if I won, I cared if I really did my best.” When Missy got back home she was excited and happy to see her friends, but she didn’t want to get treated any differently. She was still a normal girl though. She went to college at the University of California, Berkeley. It was very hard for her to leave her family especially her mom because they were so close to her mom even tried to bring her back home so she couldn’t go to college. They eventually got over it though. Missy was on the swim team for college so her parents wanted to try and find a way to make it to most of her meets. The 2016 summer Olympics were coming up so Missy was competing in the Olympic trials. She was really scared and nervous that she wouldn't make the team. She kept disappointing herself and letting herself down during her races. She wanted to make it to the Olympics again. She did end up making it to the Rio Olympics, but she was still worried because she had not been swimming the best lately. Missy had a disappointing Rio Olympics. She won one gold medal in a relay. She was not too happy about that, but there was nothing she could do. Missy’s main goal was to just do her best.
I definitely do recommend this book. I liked it so much because it actually caught my attention, and I actually wanted to read it. The book was in between easy and hard. Sometimes it took me a while to understand what was going on, but otherwise, it was good. Then ending was a little bit sad so the ending did not go how I wanted, but oh well. The connections I made with the book is that even if things don’t go our way we still need to get over it and try our hardest. My favorite part of the book was when Missy realized she really did make the cut for the Olympic trials and she was freaking out. So I do definitely recommend this book.
Missy started swimming lessons when she was very young. Her mom put her in swimming lessons because she wanted Missy to get used to the water at a young age. Missy connected well with the water and started to like it a lot. Missy later then asked her mom if she could join a swim team and she did. She competed and got into swimming like no other sport she did. When Missy was in the pool she never wanted to get out. The pool was just her happy place. Missy was so good she was competing with people a few years older with her so she had to adjust to that. Missy started to break a lot of records. The Orlando meet she was at she was trying to make the cut for the swimming Olympic trials at thirteen years old. Missy did not make the cut in the two of her better events. The trial cut for the two hundred IM was 2:20.49. Missy didn't know that because she never thought she would be near it. Turns out she finished the race and looked at her time which was 2:19.12. She knew she did good, but she didn't know if she beat the cut time. Turns out she did so she was super happy about that. She was not able to make it to the 2008 summer Olympics. During the time she was still in high school so she was practicing then also, and she made it to state for high school swimming. She also broke records at state. In 2012 Missy went to the London Olympics. She was competing in seven events. She won five gold, one bronze, and then got fourth and fifth which she was really proud about. Missy set a world record and Olympic record for the 200m backstroke with a time of 2:04.06 Missy’s meet was great she felt pretty good about it.”I never really cared if I won, I cared if I really did my best.” When Missy got back home she was excited and happy to see her friends, but she didn’t want to get treated any differently. She was still a normal girl though. She went to college at the University of California, Berkeley. It was very hard for her to leave her family especially her mom because they were so close to her mom even tried to bring her back home so she couldn’t go to college. They eventually got over it though. Missy was on the swim team for college so her parents wanted to try and find a way to make it to most of her meets. The 2016 summer Olympics were coming up so Missy was competing in the Olympic trials. She was really scared and nervous that she wouldn't make the team. She kept disappointing herself and letting herself down during her races. She wanted to make it to the Olympics again. She did end up making it to the Rio Olympics, but she was still worried because she had not been swimming the best lately. Missy had a disappointing Rio Olympics. She won one gold medal in a relay. She was not too happy about that, but there was nothing she could do. Missy’s main goal was to just do her best.
I definitely do recommend this book. I liked it so much because it actually caught my attention, and I actually wanted to read it. The book was in between easy and hard. Sometimes it took me a while to understand what was going on, but otherwise, it was good. Then ending was a little bit sad so the ending did not go how I wanted, but oh well. The connections I made with the book is that even if things don’t go our way we still need to get over it and try our hardest. My favorite part of the book was when Missy realized she really did make the cut for the Olympic trials and she was freaking out. So I do definitely recommend this book.
January 8, 2018
I have always admired Missy Franklin greatly as a hardworking and dedicated athlete. I was very excited when I discovered that she had written an autobiography about her experiences growing up as an elite swimmer. This book has a very intimate feel while reading it due to the casual writing style throughout the book which I really enjoyed. It was as if she were telling the audience her life story in a regular conversation which differs greatly from the almost distant narration some people tend to have when writing an autobiography. Although some may argue that the tone of the novel overall was too bubbly, I thought that it added to the depth of her book by showing her personality through her writing. I would’ve liked to hear more about her life outside of her swimming career, but as a swimmer myself, it was very interesting to hear the life story of arguably one of the most important female swimmers of our time and how she grew to become the athlete she is today. One of the major themes of the novel was perseverance as displayed by the explanation of why the word “relentless” is important to Missy Franklin. It appears various times throughout the novel and shows her tenacious approach not only in her training but also in other aspects of her life. Missy Franklin dealt with many disappointments and difficult times in her career, the Rio 2016 Olympics in particular, but wrote about keeping her head up despite her less than stellar performance. There aren’t many books about swimming or the athletes involved in the sport, so I was pleasantly surprised to discover this book and how well-written it truly is. This novel is geared towards those familiar with the swimming world and those looking for a story of strong faith. It reminds me somewhat of the novel Swimming to Antarctica by Lynne Cox, another book I recommend if you enjoy reading this one. However, regardless of whether or not you have a swimming or faith-based background, I highly recommend this book to all!
May 13, 2017
Parts of the book are really good but parts of it are annoying.
The Good: I enjoyed listening about her dedication to the sport and her back problems which led to a disappointing Olympics games in Rio.
The Bad: She really had a blessed life – parents who love and support her, no issues regarding money and ability to train with the best coaches, natural swimming talent, tons of friends, popular, smart, etc. While that is wonderful for her, it doesn’t make that interesting of a story. It’s hard to relate to someone who had the perfect life and no problems to overcome. Her biggest complaint was that her back injury prevented her from getting a medal in an individual event in the Olympics. Uhhhh …. ok. Not really a struggle by any definition. Towards the end of the book, there was too much God this, blah, blah, blah. I wanted to hear more what the Olympics was like, but London was told from her parents’ perspective. She wrote that she was not going to talk about London because everyone heard about it already. How dumb to leave out the most interesting part of your life in an autobiography. The parents’ biggest complaint was that their FREE seats to watch the Olympics were nosebleeds. But don’t worry, this was resolved when the owner of a sport team upgraded them to front rows. This family must live in the most pristine world ever where there are absolutely no real problems. Another part that was contrived is at the very end where she says her favorite thing to do is to visit cancer patients in the hospital. Yet, she makes no mention of doing anything like that in the first 99% of the book. I wasn’t a fan of the side whispers, “by now you know I love puns” and dropping the article “the” in sentences. So instead of “The best part of swimming…” it read as “Best part of swimming…”
The book is ok, but not great.
The Good: I enjoyed listening about her dedication to the sport and her back problems which led to a disappointing Olympics games in Rio.
The Bad: She really had a blessed life – parents who love and support her, no issues regarding money and ability to train with the best coaches, natural swimming talent, tons of friends, popular, smart, etc. While that is wonderful for her, it doesn’t make that interesting of a story. It’s hard to relate to someone who had the perfect life and no problems to overcome. Her biggest complaint was that her back injury prevented her from getting a medal in an individual event in the Olympics. Uhhhh …. ok. Not really a struggle by any definition. Towards the end of the book, there was too much God this, blah, blah, blah. I wanted to hear more what the Olympics was like, but London was told from her parents’ perspective. She wrote that she was not going to talk about London because everyone heard about it already. How dumb to leave out the most interesting part of your life in an autobiography. The parents’ biggest complaint was that their FREE seats to watch the Olympics were nosebleeds. But don’t worry, this was resolved when the owner of a sport team upgraded them to front rows. This family must live in the most pristine world ever where there are absolutely no real problems. Another part that was contrived is at the very end where she says her favorite thing to do is to visit cancer patients in the hospital. Yet, she makes no mention of doing anything like that in the first 99% of the book. I wasn’t a fan of the side whispers, “by now you know I love puns” and dropping the article “the” in sentences. So instead of “The best part of swimming…” it read as “Best part of swimming…”
The book is ok, but not great.
June 14, 2017
As a current competitive swimmer, I really enjoyed readying about the young Missy's life. She talked about her at the age of 13 going to the Olympic trials. I still can't believe anyone that young could be that fast! I also liked hearing about her parents and a bit of their background stories. Missy does repeat herself a bit throughout the book, but I'm sure she did that on purpose to emphasize her point she's trying to get a crossed. I also like the fact you can sort of read how she processed things at such a young age. Since she was a very successful swimmer starting at such a young age, she needed to learn and mature a lot faster to catch up with the people she was growing up with/ training with around her. I also loved reading about her positive attitude towards negative situations that happened to her. Me personally, I look up to Missy still to this day as a freshmen in high school and I hope to grow up and to be like her someday. Missy had a bit of a rough training situation growing up since she talked about one of her coaches and she loved that coach lots but wanted to stay loyal to her team at that time. I am a freestyler and backstroker just like Missy and I was hoping to read a little bit of technic from her but I'd rather read more about her then get all that information. Reading about her life really inspires me to work harder both academically and training wise. She does talk about a conflict between school and swimming and I have to experience a conflict similar to what she had at that time. I'd give this book a 4.5/5 stars since I really loved the story but it did kind of had a lot of background information.
November 8, 2017
Title: Relentless Spirit
Author: Missy Franklin
Date Reviewed: 7 November 2017
Relentless Spirit by Missy Franklin is an autobiography about her life from a baby up to when she competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics. It has the title relentless spirit because that is also the theme. Throughout the book Missy goes through many hardships. The thing that helps get her through it is her relentless spirit. One day she had a really bad back pain at a swim meet. She was sent back to her hotel but the next day even though she was advised against it she competed in competition. Missy although shows throughout the book how her faith helps her through hard times. At many times in the book such as when she was making a decision to go pro or stay at college she asks her god. She stays up at night and prays to him to help her with a sign or something. She also demonstrates how she shaped her own path. She was born into a family that did not practice religious beliefs but she paved her own path with god. Missy is one of the best athletes in the world and these values help her achieve that high level of status. One thing that was not amazing about the book was how long it was. Even though she was trying to exaggerate things it felt like I was reliving her entire life minute by minute. When she talks about her decision about which high school to go to she walks us through every detail of every school and every single thought about. Even though this might be interesting to some people it is very unnecessary to ad. As a swimmer myself I am able to relate to this book which makes it more enjoyable to read and easier to understand. Overall this book scores a 4 out of 5.
Author: Missy Franklin
Date Reviewed: 7 November 2017
Relentless Spirit by Missy Franklin is an autobiography about her life from a baby up to when she competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics. It has the title relentless spirit because that is also the theme. Throughout the book Missy goes through many hardships. The thing that helps get her through it is her relentless spirit. One day she had a really bad back pain at a swim meet. She was sent back to her hotel but the next day even though she was advised against it she competed in competition. Missy although shows throughout the book how her faith helps her through hard times. At many times in the book such as when she was making a decision to go pro or stay at college she asks her god. She stays up at night and prays to him to help her with a sign or something. She also demonstrates how she shaped her own path. She was born into a family that did not practice religious beliefs but she paved her own path with god. Missy is one of the best athletes in the world and these values help her achieve that high level of status. One thing that was not amazing about the book was how long it was. Even though she was trying to exaggerate things it felt like I was reliving her entire life minute by minute. When she talks about her decision about which high school to go to she walks us through every detail of every school and every single thought about. Even though this might be interesting to some people it is very unnecessary to ad. As a swimmer myself I am able to relate to this book which makes it more enjoyable to read and easier to understand. Overall this book scores a 4 out of 5.
September 26, 2018
Relentless Sprit by Missy Franklin,D.A. Franklin, and Dick Franklin, was an outstanding book that included 320 pages. Missy begins by telling her parents backgrounds, with their help, and telling about how their childhoods weren’t exactly perfect. D.A. found out when she was about 12 that she wasn’t able to have kids, which is why Missy became part of the family a little different. Both of her parents had rough childhoods, when it came to their parents. Missy talked about when she made the Junior national team, and the hard work that came with it. She talked about how that led up to her success in going to the Olympic Games. She talked about the excitement of doing so well at the Olympic Games and the disappointment that came with not doing well at the Olympics. She talked about being a young athlete and her decision to attend Cal Berkeley. All the while her partners are chiming in every once and a while to talk about how it was to parent and how to nurture a great athlete in her training as well as in her races and life.
My favorite character in the book was Missy because I feel like I can relate to her in the sense of my swimming. It helps that her parents were there, to help recall the events because she can’t remember ever single detail from her childhood so it helps that they can recall these times. My favorite part of the book it Missy’s second Olymics when, compared to her first Olympics, she didn’t do very well. This was very inspiring to me because I have experienced races like this and it is really encouraging to know that you can get over rough races and still be an amazing swimmer. I learned that success doesn’t get handed to you, you have to work for what you want and if you work hard enough, which is extremely hard, then you have the opportunity to succeed.
My favorite character in the book was Missy because I feel like I can relate to her in the sense of my swimming. It helps that her parents were there, to help recall the events because she can’t remember ever single detail from her childhood so it helps that they can recall these times. My favorite part of the book it Missy’s second Olymics when, compared to her first Olympics, she didn’t do very well. This was very inspiring to me because I have experienced races like this and it is really encouraging to know that you can get over rough races and still be an amazing swimmer. I learned that success doesn’t get handed to you, you have to work for what you want and if you work hard enough, which is extremely hard, then you have the opportunity to succeed.
May 22, 2025
It was entertaining to go back and read Missy Franklin's story, one of the feel-good stories coming out of the London Olympics in 2012. It was different writing strategy but effective to have her Mom and Dad chime in throughout the book. It is noteworthy that she glosses over many of her achievements and talks more about the journey and those involved in her life that made a difference. Also, she gives quite a bit of time detailing her journey of faith including the airplane conversation after the very disappointing Rio Olympics with a young gentleman, cancer doctor, who didn't know Missy from anybody and yet gave her the sign and words from God she was looking for to comfort her after those games. There are funny stories regarding her parents and their journey of unending support including her Dad getting pickpocketed by someone in a wheelchair at the London games. A few pictures are in the middle of the book which highlight her life. Overall, a worthwhile read to go back and visit one of America's swimming stars from days gone by, but more importantly how she dealt with the disappointments, the injury bug, and the grueling sessions of training throughout her young life.
September 29, 2024
If you are looking for a cheerful memoir, this is the one for you. Missy seems like a very happy person who has led a very privileged life. According to this book, she has made mostly good choices, learned well from the poorer ones she's made, and genuinely loves her parents. The writing style is very informal; it's written very much how a teenage girl talks - there are lots of exclamations points, italics, parenthetical asides to the reader, teasing between her and her parents, and puns.
So while I enjoyed reading it because it's a swimming book by someone from Colorado, it felt like there was a distinct lack of a plot, and perhaps some lack of openness. Maybe she really has always gotten along perfectly with everyone her entire life, but it felt like she was only recounting the parts of her life she had already told the public, or at least already shared with her parents. And perhaps that's the drawback of writing a book together with one's parents - only the parts of story that all three of them already knew about and agreed upon were in the book.
So while I enjoyed reading it because it's a swimming book by someone from Colorado, it felt like there was a distinct lack of a plot, and perhaps some lack of openness. Maybe she really has always gotten along perfectly with everyone her entire life, but it felt like she was only recounting the parts of her life she had already told the public, or at least already shared with her parents. And perhaps that's the drawback of writing a book together with one's parents - only the parts of story that all three of them already knew about and agreed upon were in the book.
May 13, 2017
There are so many great things to say about this book. I clearly remember watching Missy swim in the 2012 London Olympics. I was a freshman in high school. I was the fan who yelled, "Go!" at the TV, even though I was thousands of miles away. I remember watching her win race after race, breaking World Records as she went. This book allowed me to understand the thought process an athlete at her caliber went through. As a sophomore in college now, I wish I would have been able to read this book during my high school swimming career. Missy has such insight on how to deal with success, failure, and faith while staying true to herself. A must read for any athlete. As a former swimmer, I was able to enjoy her stories of growing up in the swimming community. I remember the summer-league teams, club swim meets, and high school. I easily was able to relate to Missy through her enjoyment. Overall this book was fantastic and I am so proud of the athlete Missy is becoming.
September 30, 2025
Would give this book 3.5 stars, but I'll round up. I really enjoyed getting to learn more about Missy's life. Her positive energy is infectious, and at some of the swim camps I have been to with her it is pretty evident how much this shows. A lot of this shines through in this book.
There were two things I wish were different. First I wish she was able to share more internal conflict. If I wasn't a huge fan I don't think there was enough in here to make me feel like I was rooting for her throughout the book. The other thing I wish was different was to have a little more told from Missy's perspective. I feel a lot of this was geared towards the parents' perspective, which is fine, but not really what I was looking for. I think that because of the parents being overly involved in this book, a lot of Missy's real struggles never had the chance to surface.
All in all, this was a good book though.
There were two things I wish were different. First I wish she was able to share more internal conflict. If I wasn't a huge fan I don't think there was enough in here to make me feel like I was rooting for her throughout the book. The other thing I wish was different was to have a little more told from Missy's perspective. I feel a lot of this was geared towards the parents' perspective, which is fine, but not really what I was looking for. I think that because of the parents being overly involved in this book, a lot of Missy's real struggles never had the chance to surface.
All in all, this was a good book though.
October 2, 2017
This book was written by Missy Franklin and her parents - Dick & D.A. Franklin. It shares the life of Missy from birth to becoming a six-time Olympic medalist in swimming. It is both inspiring and heartbreaking, but isn't that life?
One of the best quotes is near the end of the book, following Missy's disappointing Rio Olympics. She was seated next to an oncologist on the plane back to the U.S. and discussing the events of her last few days and these were his words . . . "I am so happy you are going through such a challenging time, because that means that God is going to do incredible things in your life, and he is working through you right now, in ways you cannot yet know?" Oh yes!! Good words for life!
One of the best quotes is near the end of the book, following Missy's disappointing Rio Olympics. She was seated next to an oncologist on the plane back to the U.S. and discussing the events of her last few days and these were his words . . . "I am so happy you are going through such a challenging time, because that means that God is going to do incredible things in your life, and he is working through you right now, in ways you cannot yet know?" Oh yes!! Good words for life!
July 10, 2018
I am not an avid sports watcher but I liked watching Missy in London. I appreciate her openness about her faith. Was surprised to read she came into this faith of her own choice as opposed to being raised with that background. I bought the book because I think Missy is a much-needed positive role model in this crazy world and I wanted to read more about her. She definitely had a supportive family and circumstances. But she came to her faith on her own. That’s inspiring because often without a family of faith, that’s not an interest, particularly from someone with such success. I hope she has more stories to tell including Olympic ones.
February 9, 2018
this book is motivational in so many ways. ive always been waiting for a book that shows the journey of a famous swimmer, since i love swimming. that too, this book is incredibly inspiring!! it’s actually motivating me to do better in my strokes and swimming in general. it also has some life lessons in it as well😂. plus missy franklin is so lively, i love her personality!! so i really recommend this book, for teens who need some motivation in any sport or swimming because i promise you will be satisfied❤️❤️
June 29, 2018
This is such a fantastic insight into the life of such a great athlete and role model. I love how Missy explains all of the heartbreak, grit, and hardship it took to get to where she is today. A lot of the times the media portrays this happy picture that is an unrealistic portrayal of how these athletes really get to compete at such a high level. You really gain an understanding of the lengths she went to to become such a driven swimmer. Missy is such an inspiring person and I loved reading about her journey.
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